–Session 5–
Naeva 8th
-In the News! Accra Lions competing for the RC championship!-
-Immersion-sense of gloom-
-Weather-Very hot (earth desert hot), no precipitation
Ep 5: One Hot Day, Naeva 8th
Chaos Factor: 4
I wake with a heavy feeling in my chest, a sense of foreboding that I may have set in motion the destruction of an innocent peoples by making contact with the Trefolk. I sit up in my bed, and examine the dogtags of the dead Humanis soldiers, then shake my head. I have to send these home. Let the diplomats deal with it.
I climb down from my bunk, dress, and notice a message on my comm from Dr Ju. He wants me to join him at his hotel. “Hey, Lysa, are you up?” I whisper.
Q: Is Lysa up? 50/50 Exceptional Yes Q: Are there people in the Mess? Likely No Q: Is there a relay ship present? 50/50 Yes Q: Did Sternwald recover the bodies? Very Unlikely No Q: Is the pilot present? 50/50 No
Then I realize, she’s not even in bed! I step out to the mess, but nobody is to be seen, so I leave the ship, sending Dr Ju a reply that will be over at the hotel in two hours. Then I head up to the control tower and ask if there is a relay ship in port. Learning there is, I head over to its berth, but the pilot isn’t to be found.
-Encounter-performer-Reaction Allied!
A muscular looking Betan bumps into me while I am walking around the berths, “Eh, I am so sorry lady!” she turns to me, “Can I help you? You looking for someone? Or you here to see my show?”
“Your show?” I ask, confused.
Q: Is she currently helping load a ship? Likely Exceptional Yes
“Yes! I am Sefina the Strong, performer of tremendous feats of strength!” she flexes her muscles.
“Sefina the stevedore?” I raise an eyebrow, skeptically.
“Well, yes, that too. One doesn’t find much of an audience for feats of strength first thing in the morning in a shipyard,” she grins.
I laugh in agreement, “Well, I’m looking for the pilot of the relay ship. Have you seen him around?”
Q: Is the pilot due back? Likely Exceptional No
“That ship? That ship is decommissioned! I think someone is supposed to retrieve it and take it to Kelstar or something,” she replies. “Do you have something to ship?”
“Yes, I need to send these dogtags I found out in the jungle back to Prime,” I open the envelope and show her the effects. “Is there a Humanis ship in port?”
Q: Is a Humanis ship in port? Very Likely Exceptional Yes
“This one!” She points to the ship she’s loading. “The Emerald Purse comes and goes every few months. Loves the Loom Salt!”
Q: Is the captain around? 50/50 No
“Is the captain around?” I ask
“No, but I can pass those on. They’ll get it home. Is there a letter about the circumstances of recovery?” she asks.
“Yes. They just need to be delivered to a military base, then I suppose HP will get take care of it from there. What’s your name again?” I ask.
“I’m Sefina Faresa, strongwoman and…stevedore, as you say,” she laughs.
“Nise Kalil. I’m with the Wayward Lark. It’s nice to meet you. And thanks for the help,” I reply.
“Nothing to worry about,” she beams as I hand the envelope to her.
I then go on about my business, but upload information about the dogtags, where they were recovered and that they have been passed to the Emerald Purse for shipping and send it to the data uplink, along with the fees, for transmission by relay network to Force Commander Apfi, wherever he might currently be stationed. I don’t envy military relay routers.
I then catch a transit to the Hotel Akwaaba. Though I started the day nice and clean, I am already dripping with sweat and make a sorry sight by the time I reach the hotel and asking for Dr Ju.
Q: Am I given any headaches? Unlikely Exceptional Yes
“Excuse me, miss,” the concierge sneers at me, “You are not allowed on the premises, dressed like that!”
I grin malevolently as I consider how I might quickly change my attire and cause a greater scene, but instead, I step outside and call up to Dr Ju’s room.
Q: Can Dr Ju get me inside? Very Likely Yes Q: Does he apologize? Likely Yes
No sooner do I hang up, than the Concierge’s comm unit rings, and the man blanches a bit, then hangs up, walks over and apologies, “Forgive me, Ms Kalil. I did not realize you were Dr Ju’s research partner.”
I smirk, “No harm done…this time,” and allow him to show me to the elevator. I hit the button for the 15th floor, and am soon welcomed by Dr Ju into his penthouse suite!
“Thank you so much, for agreeing to spend the day with me!” Dr Ju beams. “We have so much to go over. Please sit!” he gestures towards a table where he has set up audio and video recording equipment, along with the artifacts and images he recovered from the trading post, most of which I had not seen.
Q: Does he stay focused? Likely Exceptional No -Persuade Effect 2-Science Effect 2- Q: Was he with the first group? 50/50 Exceptional No Q: Does he have me stay for dinner? Likely Exceptional Yes Q: Dining room? Likely Exceptional No Q: Do we finish? Very Likely Exceptional No
“Let us begin! I need to know everything!” he begins. Unfortunately, Dr Ju is too excited to stay very focused. He keeps boasting about how revolutionary our findings are, and how important my first contact and communication successes are. I continuously have to steer him back to the subject at hand, providing my recorded testimony, answering his questions and prompting him to ask those he is overlooking, as though I were reporting to a superior in the CSS. We spend the day going over the events of the day, listening to recordings of the Trefolk as I try to note any “words” I recognize, and reviewing the video to see if I can recognize Whook Whook among those on the camera, but I cannot spot him for certain. We take a break for lunch, and then he even orders us room service for dinner as well.
-Persuasion Effect -4- Q: Wil he concede? Very Unlikely No-
At the end of the day, he insists I come back tomorrow so we can continue, to which I reply, “Dr Ju. You hired Lysa and I for an expedition, not for days of interviews. If you want me to come back tomorrow, I need a case of that Taglock you brought with you in payment. It’s likely worth far less than I normally charge for my time. What do you say?”
“No! I paid for a week long expedition, and we were out there two nights. You owe me four more nights!” Dr Ju insists.
Q: Does he agree? Very Likely Yes
I sigh and agree, “Can I sleep on the couch then?”
“Oh! Of course! Let us continue then, if you are staying the night!” he beams excitedly, and so the interrogation, recording and note taking continues into the wee hours of the morning.
-Naeva 9th-
-Immersion-Sense of Gloom (again!)-
Ep 5: Lap of Luxury, Naeva 9th
Chaos Factor: 4-Expected Scene
I sleep restlessly, dreaming of those men, cornered by the Trefolk, holed up in an alien outpost. One bleeding out, perhaps poisoned. Another desperately setting grenade traps…transmitter damaged, no signal heading out for rescue…alone and afraid. I wake up with a heavy sense of dread in my chest, climb off the couch, and let myself out onto the balcony to stare at the vast city below. It is…a rare sight. Concrete and steel for as far as the eye can see in one direction, mountains to the north, and ocean in the east. A penthouse on one of the tallest structures in the city…the best view of humanity’s work, and the world’s natural beauty. I step inside, and pull one of Dr Ju’s notepads from the table, his pen, and I begin sketching the sunrise.
Suddenly, I change my mind, rip off that sheet, and begin sketching Whook Whook instead, capturing every detail as I wonder what he is doing as the sun rises up in the sky.
Q: Does Dr Ju sleep late? 50/50 No
“Good morning,” Dr Ju says from behind me. “Lovely view.”
“The horizon or my ass?” I reply, not bothering to turn around.
Q: Does the question fluster him? Likely Yes
I hear him kind of choke as he stammers, “I meant the horizon…I’m…uh…”
-Art Effect 4 vs DC 8-
I turn around grinning at his red face, and wink, “I’m just messing with you.” Then I show him the sketch.
Q: Is he happy? Very likely Yes
“Outstanding!” he exclaims, eyes lighting up as he takes in the detail. “Better than the video images!”
“Oh, yeah…none of the cameras or photos you’ve shown really capture the foot structure do they? Anyway, order up breakfast and we can continue after I take a shower,” I suggest and head to the bathroom.
-Art Effect 1 vs DC 8 for the rest of the portfolio-
A short time later, we are once more going through the details of my encounter with the Trefolk but now, Dr Ju having ordered up some pencils from the gift shop, I am drawing a series of anatomical sketches as well, capturing in great detail, with notes, what subject one and subject three, Whook Whook, wore and how they moved.
Q: Is Dr Ju satisfied by the end of the day? Very Likely Yes Q: Does he try to hire me? Likely No
“You have been an excellent witness! And these sketches…they help fill in the gaps in the video and your testimony. I hope that I am able to find such high quality assistants in the future! Good help is truly hard to find,” he notes after dinner.
-Persuasion Effect 3 vs DC 8-
“Well, you can thank Lysa for that. Perhaps with a box of taglock?” I suggest once more.
He laughs, shaking his head, “You just keep trying, don’t you?”
“Same as the way I kept climbing those trees to help your project succeed,” I shrug.
He gets up, and opens up a case in his room, and brings me a box of a dozen pouches of taglock. “A variety pack. I don’t particularly care for the date ones.”
“Thank you!” I beam as I get up and take the box, “Lysa is going to love these!” He laughs as I bid him farewell and head back down to the lobby.
Q: Is the concierge there? Very Likely Yes
The concierge scowls at me as I walk past his station, so I pause and grin, “How much is a night here?”
“Far more than you can afford,” he sneers.
“Oh, I don’t know. I just made 5000 credits for five days work. Not being a dick pays pretty well,” I shrug, then head outside to catch a tram back to the spaceport.
-No Encounter- Q: Is Anatarea tomorrow night good? Likely Exceptional Yes
I get a seat to myself on the tram and soon arrive back at the Wayward Lark, calling Tabira along the way to see if she and her crew want to meet up at Anaterea’s tomorrow night. I can hear the excitement in her voice as she eagerly sets the time and a couple of her crewmates chime in that they look forward to seeing me again. I smile as I hang up the comm.
Q: Are my crewmates at the Lark? Likely Yes Q: Playing cards? Likely Yes
Arriving at the Lark, I join the rest of the crew in the mess hall for a game of cards, “Sorry I’m late. Dr Ju held me overnight answering questions, as I’m sure Lysa explained.”
“You bring creds?” Mara raises an eyebrow.
Q: Is Lysa excited? Very Likely Yes
I laugh, “Yeah, and…” I put the case of taglock on the table, “A little thank you present from Dr Ju for a fellow Treborn”
Q: Does she share? Likely Exceptional Yes
“Oh! Wow!” Lysa’s jaw drops and eyes widen, and she tears open the case, and pulls out a pouch, ripping it off, “Try this! Strawberry fill.” Then she rips open another, “Raisin!” Then another, and soon she has four of the pouches open for us to try. I quickly take the rest of the case and stash it in our room for another time. “Bring a package of the plain out! I’m going to make some filling for it!” Lysa urges.
“Not tonight, you aren’t!” I laugh. “Tonight, I’m going to clean you out because I’m sure you got paid more than I did for this whole thing!”
Q: Did she get paid more? Very Likely Yes
She winks at me, grinning broadly, “Management always gets paid more, am I right?” she asks Voss.
“Risk gets the reward,” he observes, dealing the cards.
“Well, in that case!” I wink at Lysa, “I should get it all…”
(Carousing rolls, as nobody has gambling)(Discussion topic-power)
We play cards throughout the evening, in addition to filling people in on the events of the past few days, and the coming Rim Con football championship being held this week, we also talk about local politics and how things are different on this world under Rim Con than they likely were under Humanis Prime. How power is wielded differently under a democracy than under an autocratic military government. In the end, Voss has cleaned out most of our stakes.
He smirks, “Risk gets the reward. You’re too easily intimidated.”
“Well, it’s not like we can tell you’re bluffing when you only have that one expression on your face!” teases Jax.
“Yeah, sour!” Mara adds, teasing him further.
He raises an eyebrow, “Just gotta learn to read people, that’s all. Good night crew. Gotta few more deals to make before we ship off.”
“G’night, captain!” we all chime in as we clean up and return to our quarters.
Q: Does Lysa want to chat? 50/50 Yes
“You stay at the hotel last night?” Lysa asks as we finish setting up our now shared stateroom.
“Yeah! Oh my gosh, you should have seen the view from his balcony this morning! Absolutely beautiful,” I beam.
“Sleep with him?” she asks.
“No!” I exclaim, “I took the couch. He was a perfect gentleman.”
Q: Is she happy to hear that? Very Likely No
She seems to pout, “You should have. He’s…kind of hot.”
“I thought Treborn didn’t sleep around,” I tease, raising an eyebrow.
She blushes, “Not with crew or passengers, but with a handsome, wealthy, intelligent, well connected man like Dr Ju? I might have jumped his bones,” she admits with a laugh.
-Discussion Topic-Fame- (Roll which one Lysa likes, the fourth one!)
“Oh! I see how it is!” I wink, “Handsome, and wealthy…so…what about…Hali Safiri?”
“What about him? He’s got a good voice,” Lysa blushes.
“Yeah, and a tight butt,” I tease.
“Meh, not my type,” Lysa shrugs.
“Then Vinzent Holderman,” I raise an eyebrow.
She laughs, “I see! You like the muscle men.”
I shrug, “I have a type. Tilmen Bessemer! You never miss an episode of Whispers in the Shadows.”
“Okay, okay…Tilmen’s pretty hot, but it’s actually Ishwar Achaval that gets my motor running.”
“Oh, you like the bad guys!” I tease.
“He’s not a bad guy!” she protests, “he’s just…very good at playing one!”
“So, you’d hook up with him if we ran into him here in Accra, but not if he was a passenger on the Lark?” I probe.
“Well, yeah, a fling is one thing, but having to work with him, and serve him afterwards…” Lysa cringes awkwardly.
“Well, what if you ran into him at the Hotel Akwaaba, had one wild night, and then….he books passage on the Lark?” I raise an eyebrow.
She laughs, “And why would Ishwar Achaval be flying on this old dump? He’s taking a passenger liner…or his own yacht!”
I laugh, “You’re right.”
“What about you?” Lysa asks.
“Hotblack Desiato! Hands down!” I instantly reply.
“Desiato? Really? Is old, fat and…isn’t he in jail?” Lysa grimaces.
“Only for another six months and seventeen days, and it was tax evasion. In Pan Gal. I mean really? Hardly a crime at all, given how bureaucratic they can be. And…it’s his voice. His music! That’s my thing!” I explain.
“I thought you liked a tight ass?” Lysa retorts.
“I can have more than one thing that turns me on,” I shrug.
We continue to compare celebrity crushes, and eventually crawl into our bunks, kill the lights, and get ourselves some rest.
-Naeva 9th-
-Immersion Smell Fish-
Ep 5: Fish Paste? Naeva 10th
Chaos Factor: 4-Expected Scene
With breakfast, Lysa presents some taglock stuffed with a fishy smelling pink paste. “Yorgo stuffed,” she beams. “Not quite like back home, but we had a can of yorgo I could mix in for the filling. Taglock isn’t just for sweets!”
(1d6 like or dislike)
Jax looks at it skeptically, then takes a bite, “Good stuff!” he agrees. Mara winces in disgust on taking a bite, but Arlen nods approval.
(1-2 for me, 3 to 6 for Jax)
I raise an eyebrow, try it, and…”Oh wow! We need more of these things!” Mara passes her uneaten portion to me, and I eagerly devour that one as well, while Lysa joins us for breakfast.
Q: Does anyone want to come with? 50/50 Exceptional No
“So, I’m going to Aneterea’s tonight with the guys from Grey Gamal. Anyone want to come with?” I offer, eagerly.
“I’ve got work to do,” Mara protests. Jax starts to say something, but then agrees with her and catching her look.
“Anetereas? I scored some tickets to the championships. Jax? You sure you have to work?” Lysa looks at him hopefully.
Q: Does Mara let him go? Very Likely No
“It’s the Lions!” Jax pleads with Mara.
“No! I need you in engineering,” she affirms.
Q: Does he concede? Unlikely No
He starts to back down then, smirks as he jumps up, “No dice, honey! I’m gonna see Kaembarioro put the hurt on Juan Bielsa and show the Crows how it is DONE on Mishindi’s Loom!”
Lysa jumps up and they high five. “You’re a child!” Mara protests as he retreats to their shared room to don is Lion’s paraphernalia.
-Persuade Effect 0-
I laugh, “You can’t win this one! He’s got that poster up already, hasn’t he? Probably gonna try to get the team to sign it too, and with Lysa, he’s got a good chance!”
Mara sighs, “Yeah, I know when I’m beat. But dinner’s not until tonight, right? That means…you can help out while he’s at the game.”
“Oh, damn. You’re right,” I shake my head, “Alright, let’s finish breakfast then…show me what you need me to do!”
-Mara Engineering Effect 1, Nise Engineering Effect 2-Discussion topic-Current Scene-
After breakfast, Lysa and Jax disappear towards the stadium while I help Mara with the powerplant for the rest of the day.
“What the hell girl! How do you know your way around a powerplant like this? There wasn’t any engineering training on your dataslate!” Mara exclaims as time after time, I know what needs to be done before she even tells me.
“Oh, yeah…I read a lot,” I shrug. “No friends in university, but a large library. Plus, it’s not like there was an engineer on the Falco. Just me. Had to figure things out myself any time something went wrong. At least long enough to get into port.”
“Damn woman! You’ve been holding out on us. I should have kept you around instead of letting you go traipsing off into the jungle for three days,” she exclaims.
I look at her, “Jungle’s more fun than powerplants. Sorry.”
She laughs, “I’ll take grease, oil and high voltage cables over mosquitoes ticks any day of the week.”
“To each their own,” I grin as we continue working.
-Persuasion Effect 0- Q: Will she come with? 50/50 No
Afterwards, I shower and put on my nicest dress, then check with Mara one last time. “Sure you don’t want to come along?”
She looks me over and shakes her head, “No. Definitely not my scene.”
I shrug, “Suit yourself. Don’t wait up!” I laugh and call for a cab. A short time later, I am deposited at the base of the Anetereas Tower.
Q: Are my companions waiting for me? 50/50 Random Event, PC Positive Illness Ambush (randomize a celeberity-Generate Ayo Kaembarioro)
Ep 5: Limelight-Naeva 10th
Chaos Factor: 4 Expected Scene
I check my timepiece, standing in front of the tower where a throng of people stand on either side of a long carpet behind a cordon. At the edge of the cordon, I ask if this is the line to get in…when suddenly, a luxury limo pulls up, the door opens and everyone around me starts to cheer. Out steps none other than Ayo Kaembarario!
Cameras flash, and he loops his arm into mine, “Glad you could make it!” he says as he lands a kiss on my cheek and starts to walk me towards the tower entrance.
Dumbfounded, I go along with him, unsure what else to do.
Q: Is this the final match of the championships? 50/50 Yes
We pause several times, stopping to pose for cameras while reporters pepper him with questions about today’s victory over the Crows. “We are, and always will remain, the greatest football team in the Rim!”
“What about the C-Games? Are you ready to face, Primal Thunder?” a reporter shouts.
“Primal can thunder all they want, but they are all washed out! When the Lion’s roar, we always score!” Ayo boasts, then pushes me through the open door and we enter the relate quiet of the tower’s foyer and step into the elevator.
“Hi,” I say, timidly, with a wave of my hand.
He looks me up and down. Then looks around, before asking, “What’s your name?”
“Nise Kalil,” I reply.
He nods, “You alone tonight, Nise Kalil?”
“I was supposed to meet some friends outside, but…” I raise an eyebrow.
Q: Does he ask me to join him? Very Likely Yes
“The woman who was going to pretend to be my date got sick this morning. So…you were waiting for me and we have been secretly seeing each other for three months. My dog’s name is Shasta and you love him dearly, but you weren’t at the game tonight because you were taking care of your grandmother, but you saw the whole game on the vid,” he explains.
“I…didn’t see the game. I was working,” I cringe.
He looks at me in surprise, “Really? Even better! Not impressed that I am a big sports celebrity! Perfect!”
The elevator door opens and we step into Anetereas, where all eyes fall on us, and then there is a polite smattering of applause as the movers and shakers of Mishindi’s Loom, and wealthy sports fans from across the Rim recognize the star player of…I guess the Rimcup Champions the Accra Lions.
(Generate the rest of the table, personalities, goals, and current actions)
Hanging onto Ayo’s arm, he escorts me across the room towards a prominent table where a couple of well dressed men sit with lovely young woman, each a decade younger than their companions, sit beside them. The lean, fair skinned man stands up to greet my companion, “Well played Mr Kaembararioro! As always, first to the fight and top of your game!” he declares eagerly shaking Ayo’s hand.
“Yes! Well played!” his light skinned companion chimes in, standing as well.
“This is Nise Kalil,” Ayo introduces me. “Nise, this is Mr Jurgen Stalreich, of Vox Perfect. And…”
Q: Has he? Likely Yes Q: Have I? Unlikely Exceptional No
“Elsbeth Heinrich,” Jurgen introduces his companion, “You might have seen her in Into the Breach?”
“Oh, of course!” Ayo replies. “Very good movie! I especially liked the final battle, where you were holding off the Hydrissian and Pan Gal marines during the self destruct sequence.”
She laughs, “You flatter me. I had a great team behind me.”
Then Ayo bows lightly towards the dark skinned man at the table, and his companion, both of whom seem to be studying us, “Mr Marenah, and…”
“Ndey Touray,” the woman replies. “Please, have a seat. I understand you would like to speak with my uncle?”
“Yes, yes of course,” Ayo pulls a seat aside for me, and the two of us join the others at the table.
A waiter immediately arrives to pour from the bottle already at the table, and I wait until one of the other ladies sips before I touch the wine myself. It is…a heady blend.
“Did you really have to win today? Now paparazzi and crazed fans surround the tower and disturb my meal,” Mr Marenah complains. “I’ve ordered security to have them all removed.”
“My apologies, Mr Mare..” Ayo begins.
“Ilman! Let them have their fun! You know that Ayo can’t help but play harder than anyone else on the field, and don’t tell me you lost money on the game,” Jurgen interjects, then he looks at me, “Where has he been keeping you hidden all of this time? I’ve not seen a single holo of you anywhere.”
“Off world, of course. Best place to keep a secret,” I shrug.
“What did you think of the game?” Elzbeth asks.
“Didn’t catch it, but I am always proud of my man when he crushes another team!” I squeeze Ayo’s arm.
“You…didn’t watch it?” Ndey asks, in disbelief.
“She was tending her grandmother,” Ayo interjects. “Very sick.”
-Ilman Deception Effect 4, Investigate Effect 3 to see through it-
“No. Where did you find this woman? Outside? Look at her nails, that’s dirt and grime under them and she smells of…ozone. Did you just arrive on the Loom today?” Mr Marenah asks over Ayo’s protests.
I laugh, “Six days ago. I was supposed to meet some friends outside, but Ayo asked me to walk in with him because his actual girlfriend had a medical emergency, but he clearly wanted to meet with you without causing any sort of scene. If you’d like, I can…leave. But….” I shrug apologetically at Ayo, “Sorry. I’m a shit liar.”
Q: Do they want me to leave? Unlikely No Q: Is Ayo upset at me? Unlikely Exceptional Yes
“You couldn’t just play along?” Ayo asks angrily.
“Hold on, hold on! You put some random woman in a really unique situation and expected her to just go along with it? So tell me, Ms Kalil, if that is your name, you mentioned just arriving at the Loom six days ago? From where?” Jurgen asks.
“Kelstar Station. I just left the CSS and hired on with a ship called the Wayward Lark, and they brought me here,” I shrug.
Q: Are small timers impressed? Likely Exceptional No
“CSS, really?” Elzbeth raises a skeptical eyebrow.
“Yes. A bit of survey work, and now I’m an astrogator on a merchant ship,” I shrug.
“What worlds have you visited?” asks Jurgen.
“Oh..um…I spent six months surveying Pikwaro in HP. Surveyed Belts 784, 789, 793, 797, and 802, before stopping at Kelstar proper. Quick layovers in a number of other systems,” I explain.
“You have a Pan Galactic accent,” Mr Marenah notes.
“Well, I was born on Pinter Patel, and spend four years at the university of Espinosa, in PanGal, so…yeah. I spent eight years in Humanis space, but I grew up here in the Rim,” I shrug.
Q: Are they satisfied? Likely Yes Random Event Work Attack Q: Are they Anti Secession? Likely No
“You grew up in the Rim, but you worked for the Conclave. Ridiculous!” scowls Mr Marenah. “A bunch of money hungry power grabbers that want to see bind us all under a single galaxy wide government! We fought hard for our freedom and then you decide to work for those who would rob us of it!”
-Persuade Effect 1 vs DC 8-
I glance at Elsbeth, then back at Mr Marena, “No. The Conclave exists to prevent war between human powers so there is never a third Pan Galactic. I’m sure Ms Heinrich would be great in such a movie, but I’d hate anyone to live through the reality of it.”
“I’m not here to argue politics,” Jurgen interjects, “We are here to discuss Mr Kaembarioro’s purchase of the Theta Tower. I’ve drawn up the contracts…”
“Why didn’t he bring a real estate lawyer? You are a contract lawyer, used to musicians and holovid stars,” Maraneh dismisses Jurgen’s efforts to redirect.
“Look! I just want to buy the building I grew up in!” Ayo pleads.
“He’s going to upgrade it! Give back to the community!” Elzbeth suggests.
“It’s a moneymaker,” Ndey retorts. “Why should my uncle sell it?”
“I can pay! I just won the Rimcup!” Ayo exclaims while I quietly sip my wine and glance around, looking for the crew of the Grey Gamal.
Q: Are they here? Very Likely Yes Random event PC Positive Continue Hindrance
I spot them across the room, staring at me in shock! But as the table continues their debate over whether Mr Marenah should sell his building to Ayo, and realizing their attention is off of me, I discreetly get up and join the merchant crew.
“How did you end up sitting with…Ayo Kaembario? Tonight!” Tabira asks as I join them.
“And that’s Jurgen Stalreich! And Ilman Marenah! You said you’ve never been here before. You lied to us!” Kobe exclaims.
“Ummm, no…I just kind of ended up there. So…what’s good?” I ask, opening the menu.
-Topic-Friends-
The waiter at the Gamal crew’s table looks at me in confusion, then back up to where I had been seated where that server raises his hands in confusion, but Kobe helps me find a good meal, and soon Kobe, Taji, Tabria, Gerhart and I are enjoying a range of delicacies as we talk about life on the Rim. They tell me about other starship crews they know. People they’ve worked with, and I eat up every word. Working under a legend like Captain Ashura, they get to know everyone. At least, the two old men do. Tabira nd Gerhart are new, and still learning the ropes, but everyone has to start somewhere. They listen eagerly to the old hands, but also to my stories from the CSS.
Q: Does the rest of the evening go well? Likely No
But halfway through our meal, the maître’de comes over, and excuses himself, “Pardon me. Are you, Ms Kalil?”
“Yes?” I look up at him in surprise.
“I have been asked to escort you from the property,” the maitre’de says apologetically.
I glance over at the high table, and see Ayo shaking his head at me. I shrug, while while my friends with the Gamal begin to protest, “Hey, thanks for having me. I’m going to get going,” I shrug as I stand.
Q: Do they come too? Unlikely No
Unable to leave such expensive food and drink behind half eaten, they stay behind, apologizing for the unusual situation. I am escorted from the building, where I hail a cab and ride back to the Lark in silence.
Q: Are Jax and Lysa back yet? Likely Yes
Move away from Thread, get on Mara’s good side Q: Did Lysa hook him up? Likely No
At the ship, Lysa and Jax are animatedly talking about the awesome time they had at the game, and Jax says, “Lysa nearly got me an autograph from Ayo Kaembarorio! Man! She’s the greatest, isn’t she?”
“She’s pretty great,” I agree. “Goodnight!” I head to my room.
Mara is glaring at me, “What?” I ask.
She just shakes her head, and I decide that I don’t even care right now. Instead, I just shower, change and go to bed.
-Naeve 11th-
-Immersion memory from a song or a joke-
Ep 5: At the Lark-Naeva 11th
Chaos Factor: 4-Expected Scene
“You know it’s been so long, yeah it’s been so long…” I belt out as I shower and get ready for the day.
“Hey in there !” I hear Jax hollering through the door, “I need you outside. We gotta show the Red Eagle how we play football on the Loom!”
“Who? What?” I holler back out turning off the water.
“The big ship berthed next to ours! We gotta put them in their place!” Jax insists.
“Fine! I’ll be out in a minute,” I agree, wondering why I even bothered showering if I am just going to run around in the heat chasing a ball all day.
Athletics Checks:
Nise pass 3, Jax fail 2, Mara fail 3, Lysa Pass 0
Sabra pass 4, Monica fail 2, Heidi pass 1, Jatou Pass 1
Q: Are they good sports about it? Likely Yes Q: Are my team good sports about it? Likely Exceptional Yes
We form up across from the crew of the Red Eagle, dressed alike in their crisp white uniforms. From the looks of things, we are evenly matched teams. One man, three women, roughly the same age breakdown. Then Jax throws out the ball. I quickly race ahead, but Sabra, their astrogator is quicker and passes to Monica, their pilot. But Jax blocks the pass, kicking to Mara, only to see Heidi intercept, passing to Jatou who quickly blows past Lysa! The first point comes quick and sets the tone for the rest of the morning where the Zhang Enterprise grew from Karsgrad’s Ridge utterly dominates us time and again. crew from , but Sabra, their light skinned astrogator, is always just a little bit quicker than me! Monica, their pilot, keeps Jax tied up, and she can’t get open either, but Jatou and Heidi, their engineer and steward, also get the upper hand on Mara and Lysa. The game quickly gets physical! Lysa ends up shying away from Jatou but Mara steps up against him. Sabra, being of obvious Pan Gal descent, isn’t as enclined to get rough so I let Lysa cover her while I face off against Heidi and Mara faces down Monica. It doesnt make much difference, and they score on us time and again.
“And that is how we do things on Karsgrad’s Ridge!” Monica calmly declares after eleven straight unanswered goals while the eight of us are all catching our breath and guzzling water.
“Damn, woman! Who would have thought a bunch of corpos could play so hard!” Jax laments.
“What did you think would happen when your team keeps leaving the goal open and you just can’t keep up?” shrugs Heidi.
“Better luck next time!” winks Sabra, and Jatou laughs.
Lysa rubs her bruised elbow from when she got knocked to the ground in the first play, “I really hate this game.”
“Get good! It’s more fun that way,” chastises Mara.
“Yeah, like you did any better than Lysa,” I point out. “They outplayed us all!”
“Yeah, you guy’s smoked us!” Jax concedes in the end, handing over the case of Thornmark beer he wagered. “Some cold brews from me to you!”
Sabra smirks as she accepts the case, “Look forward to beating you again next time!”
Q: Does Lysa come with? 50/50 Exceptional No Q: Does anyone approach? Likely No Q: Is there a Hydrissian present? Likely No
We then return to our ship, and I shower again before heading over to Maggie’s for a drink. I sit alone at the bar, and order a drink as I simply watch the other patrons. After awhile, I finish my drink and return to the Lark, where I paint for a bit before turning in for the night.
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